A LONG standing member of the Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival's organising committee, Warwick Murray is leading a push to see the games day of the festival moved to Taree.

Mr Murray recently approached the Times to discuss the possible move and his reasons for suggesting the idea.

He believes that in order for the festival to grow and attract larger crowds through better attractions, the committee needs to be able to generate more funds.

Mr Murray said moving the games day to Taree Park, which is now fully fenced, would enable the committee to charge an entry fee of about $8 or $10 which would significantly boost funds for the festival piggy bank.

"I'm thinking about the future, the next 10 years, money is tight," Mr Murray said.

"The festival brings up to 5000 people to the area and I'm looking for expressions of support for the move. "I want to keep it in the district because it's wonderful for tourism," he added.

Under his proposal, the festival would be run out of both Wingham and Taree, with the Grand Scottish Ball to stay in Wingham.

Mr Murray commended Greater Taree City Council for installing the fence around Taree Park, something he said should have happened a long time ago.

"I was delighted to see the fence, I always thought it needed one," he said.

"Council are to be complimented for doing it."

Mr Murray compared the Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival with other Scottish festivals around the State, including Glen Innes, where entry fees range from $15 per person to $30.

"It would be nothing like that, but we do need some extra money to help with the organising and to grow the festival," he said.

"Sponsorship isn't growing and looking at figures, if we has a larger cash flow we could attract real draw cards like the tug-of-war and heavy stone lifting."

Mr Murray has discussed his idea with one or two key members of the organising committee and is now seeking community feedback on the plan.